So I finished Kingdom Come on the way to work today. It was seriously amazing. I loved it. Like Watchmen, I found myself thinking about it at work, and dying to get on the train home so I could read some more. And while I also really enjoyed The Dark Knight Returns, I can’t say I felt that same sense of excitement to get back to it everyday.
A few people voiced some concern that I might not like it since I wouldn’t know all the characters, but that wasn’t the case at all. Yes, I could tell that there was lots of inside information hidden within the artwork, but I was still able to pick up on a lot of it, just from having a decent knowledge of pop culture. I was also pretty proud of myself for picking up little tid bits like the Gulag looking like the lair of the Legion of Doom from the 70′s cartoon show. But now I just need to go through this site that Avitable showed me so I can pick up on everything I missed. The only time I was disappointed with my lack of knowledge was with “the reveal” at the end. I feel like I should have gasped, but I didn’t. I had to go immediately to wikipedia to see what all the fuzz was about.
There were two things that made this book really special for me. One being the huge scope of the work. I love epic stories. I love books with world ending stakes with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. I can appreciate smaller adventure stories, but it’s the grand epics that really get me going. The second thing being the artwork. Every single panel was incredible. They were like Norman Rockwell paintings, but with superheros. There was so much detail, that I could just stare at them for hours. And I loved the Golden Era costumes and sensibilities, particularly The Flash and his constant motion. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a new book to read, even if it’s your first comic book, because it was just that amazing.
Next up is another one from Polt, Batman: The Long Halloween.
I’m glad you liked it. I own the oversized edition and have re-read it like 10 times.
Well, Craiggers, I’m overjoyed you liked it! I think I felt much the same way you did when I first read it, although being a total comic book geek, I probably had more “squee” moments than you did.
Nonetheless, it is a damn good read, isn’t it? And it’s one that you’ll go back to and see things in the panels you didn’t see before. Alex Ross is an outstanding artist.
I’ll try to think of some more to recommend to you.
HUGS…
It is good to see that people still read books! I love reading.
Excellent! You got through that very quickly. I’m also really glad you got as much out of it as you did.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Craig! Kingdom Come was one of the first DC books my bf lent me, and it totally turned me into a DC junkie! I totally loved the Alex Ross art, and it just gave the whole thing a more epic feel. Though I think I already recommend it in the initial entry, Marvels would be right up your alley if you liked Kingdom Come. It’s also done by Alex Ross! Also, Justice was one of Ross’ recent DC books, and it was a classic Legion of Doom story of awesome!
“Craig is gonna go Carrie any minute now”….Ewww, with pig’s blood and everything???
HUGS…
Oh and yeah, like Alex said, Marvels and Justice are pretty sweet as well.
HUGS…
Take pics Craig so we can see later.
I have no comment on graphic novels. Not my thing. I did however come across a strangely hot picture of Spock and Kirk in a clinch this morning. I’m not usually a big fan of the Spock/Kirk pairing but this had me rather transfixed for a moment, so in honor of Star Trek opening this weekend.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/ipol28/kirkspock.jpg
When am I going to learn not to click links?
Thank god for this:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/unicorn-chaser.html
John: Funny and its got glitter in it so sure to cleanse the system. My link wasn’t THAT bad.
Tam’s link wasn’t bad at all.
Kingdom Come? Comics?? Like I said with Batman, read some Dickens or Faulkner and we’ll talk.
john: that is hiLARious!
Enrickyricardo: you have such and old soul for such a young man. Not that that’s a bad thing, I mean I got the opposite, the maturity level of a 15 year old in a 41 year old body.
HUGS…
I’ve seen a few graphic books, but I tend to skim through the dialogue and almost completely ignore the drawings. It’s not at all how it’s meant to be read, and perhaps no surprise that I don’t get too much out of them. [Plus, I'm usually more interested in what happens on a small scale than to all of humanity.]
Tam, my first thought on seeing the link was “What does Spock see in him???” Guess I’m not a big James T. Kirk fan (as evidenced by the fact that I had to ask TwoPi just now how to spell “Kirk”). Loved the Unicorn Chaser idea, though!
I need to start reading graphic novels more. All these reviews are giving me a hankerin’.
Ugh. I had one too many shots of Patron last night.
Friends kept buying the darn things…
I’m sorry, what were we talking about again? Oh, that’s right — graphic novels about glittery unicorns staving off the evil of interspecies relationships.
Or something like that…
Dave S.: perhaps the unicorn candle can help with the one-too-many-the-night-before-morning-afters?
HUGS…
Polt: What would also help is not accidentally show up at a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo.
But the unicorn chaser would be a nice back-up. 
Damn. I think we accidentally killed the thread, Polt. Well, actually, *I* probably did. But Puntabulous is all about community, right?
uh…right…?
…hellooo…?
Enrico: How’s the final coming? We are only on week six of ten right now, but at this point, it means nothing to me.
Tam: We all knew JTK would hit anything that moved; and what could be more erotic than the Vulcan Mind Meld?
Ooooh, sex during a mind meld…that would be hot. Well, not with an emtionless Vulcan actually, but still….
HUGS…
Enrico & Tam: Tam’s link wasn’t that bad. Don’t make me send you Google Topics to prove the need for Unicorn Chaser…..
Okay okay. I’m only thankful that urbandictionary doesn’t have pictures. I’d need to buy stock in Unicorn Chaser if that was the case.
I just noticed I’m down to four TV shows a week.
Tam: AMEN! to that! If UD had pictures, I would have od’d on Unicorn Chaser.
It does have pictures, just not the kind that require Unicorn Chaser afterwards.
Ryan: Good! My surprise final was sent in at 3am and it wasn’t that good… The final I’m currently writing is going well though. And EVERYONE is confused about what the teacher wants, so I’m hoping we all do it differently, the teacher realizes she confused us, and gives us all good grades!
Tam: Speaking of Urban Dictionary, I saw the strangest definition ever. Does that make any sense?
If you want to feel bad about the state of humanity, look up Watermelon in Urban Dictionary. Oy.
Enrico: That’s good to hear.
I can’t parse the definition.
Craig: Part of me just died inside.
Haven’t read the book. Is Wonder Woman in it?
Tam and john – funny links. Glitter!
Enrico and Craig – I don’t even know…
Enrico: No, that doesn’t make sense. Not to me anyway. I think there’s supposed to be some form of humor in that definition, but instead, it just sets a big cartoon question mark above your head.
Craig: Damn. People suck.
Enrico: Well, that’s just stupid.
Craig: Yeah, people need a life.
Michelle M: Yes! Wonder Woman is in it and she is awesome!
Michelle M.: Wonder Woman kicks ASS in it, as I recall.
Enrickyricardo: I don’t really see how that’s possible…and I’ve tried many MANY positions in my 41 years.
Craiggers: *SIGH*…..the definition is bad enough, but the fact that more people rated it thumbs up than rated it thumbs down is the really depressing part.
HUGS….
Polt summed it up perfectly. The definition was offensive enough, but the number of people who approved it makes me feel worse.
Enrico: I have no clue what that was supposed to mean and realized, I don’t think I need to know.
Craig: Uh oh. Bad day? (Although the Carrie twitter kind of gave it away.)
Sheesh. Slow day at Puntabulous yesterday. (same thing at Spike300) Where was everyone? Only 35 comments on this post! I don’t remember a day Craig only got 35 comments…